Japan: Famitsu sales for May 2019 (Software, Hardware, Publishers)
Famitsu have shared their monthly report on video game sales in Japan, this time covering May 2019 (to be more precise, the period going from April 29th to May 26th, so 4 weeks in total).
Let’s start with Software. No new releases managed to crack into the Top 5 Software this month, and so it’s entirely made of games released in April or earlier. The Nintendo Switch largely dominated sales, with 4 of the 5 games in the Top 5, and all of them are evergreen titles.
Sales for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are perfectly flat, with 51 011 units sold. This brings total sales to 3 094 161 units at retail alone, making it the best-selling game on Nintendo Switch. Minecraft saw a small increase in sales, with 42 774 units sold (+6%); this brings total sales to 790 783 units, which means the 800 000 units milestone at retail will be reached in June.
As for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, its sales are as strong as ever. It sold no less than 40 605 additional units in May, which is a 24% increase Year on Year. This brings total sales to 2 310 186 units since launch, making pretty clear it will eventually reach 3 million units. Finally, New Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is holding pretty well, with 36 329 units sold in May and 621 135 units LTD. It will eventually reach 1 million units LTD.
Here’s the Top 5 Software for May 2019, courtesy of Famitsu:
01./01. [PS4] Days Gone <ACT> (Sony Interactive Entertainment) {2019.04.26} (¥6.900) – 56.689 / 171.008 (-50%)
02./05. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate # <FTG> (Nintendo) {2018.12.07} (¥7.200) – 51.011 / 3.094.161 (+0%)
03./08. [NSW] Minecraft # <ADV> (Microsoft Game Studios) {2018.06.21} (¥3.600) – 42.774 / 790.783 (+6%)
04./10. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe <RCE> (Nintendo) {2017.04.28} (¥5.980) – 40.605 / 2.310.186 (+24%)
05./09. [NSW] New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe <New Super Mario Bros. U
\ New Super Luigi U> <ACT> (Nintendo) {2019.01.11} (¥5.980) –
36.329 / 621.135 (-1%)
As mentioned above, 4 of the games in the Top 5 are on Nintendo Switch, which didn’t manage to grab the #1 spot… though only by a few thousands units!:
NSW – 4
PS4 – 1
This month again, Nintendo was once again the most successful publisher in Japan… though it wasn’t much of an achievement, sadly. Indeed, Nintendo is the only company that sold more than 100 000 units, which just goes to show the strength of its evergreen titles. The company sold nearly twice as many units as Bandai-Namco and Sony… combined.
Here’s the Top 3 Publishers for May 2019, courtesy of Famitsu:
Nintendo – 326.000
Bandai Namco Games – 88.000
Sony Interactive Entertainment – 84.000
Hardware-wise, May was definitely a slow month, but thanks to the Golden Week, the drop isn’t as bad as sales during the past couple of weeks indicated. The Nintendo Switch sold 141 971 units, which is roughly 42 000 units less than in April, and about 4 000 units less than in May 2018. Famitsu point out that the console has been the best-selling one in Japan for the 15th month in a row.
While it’s certainly disappointing that sales would be down Year on Year, the drop remains limited both in units and in time. After all, with the release of Super Mario Maker 2 on June 28th, sales will most definitely bounce back up in June, even if that month is part of the slow period between the Golden Week and the Summer season.
As of May 2019, the Nintendo Switch has sold 1 294 591 units this year alone, which is over 250 000 more than last year after the same amount of weeks. Total sales are now at 8 184 137 units.
Meanwhile, Nintendo 3DS sales are perfectly flat with 15 475 units sold (only 65 units less than in April, but about two times less than last year during the same month). YTD sales are now at 117 515 units, which is nearly 3 times less than last year after the same amount of months. Total sales are now at 24 422 479 units; the irrelevant sales weekly and monthly make it pretty clear the handheld will most likely never reach the 25 million units milestone.
+-------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+-------------+
|System | This Month | Last Month | Last Year | YTD | Last YTD | LTD |
+-------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+-------------+
| NSW | 141.971 | 183.397 | 144.455 | 1.294.591 | 952.585 | 8.184.137 |
| PS4 # | 49.205 | 51.177 | 86.181 | 544.869 | 856.107 | 8.096.959 |
| 3DS # | 15.475 | 15.540 | 33.387 | 117.515 | 294.589 | 24.422.479 |
| PSV # | 1.692 | 2.164 | 16.200 | 34.918 | 101.172 | 5.860.272 |
| XB1 # | 586 | 397 | 765 | 2.752 | 6.963 | 105.683 |
+-------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+-------------+
| ALL | 208.929 | 252.675 | 281.101 | 1.994.645 | 2.212.708 | 46.669.530 |
+-------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+-------------+
| XB1 X | 309 | 254 | 350 | 1.934 | 5.028 | 15.390 |
| XB1 S | 277 | 143 | 415 | 818 | 1.935 | 18.291 |
|PS4 Pro| 20.425 | 20.680 | 23.332 | 195.162 | 200.003 | 1.167.752 |
| PS4 | 28.780 | 30.497 | 62.849 | 349.707 | 656.104 | 6.929.207 |
| PSV | 1.692 | 2.164 | 16.200 | 34.918 | 101.172 | 5.860.272 |
|n-2DSLL| 13.081 | 12.672 | 19.069 | 93.717 | 183.922 | 1.037.961 |
| n-3DS | 2.394 | 2.868 | 12.968 | 22.707 | 98.006 | 5.878.532 |
+-------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+-------------+Click here for more Japanese sales data!
